Gran’s care

Less than two months after losing their mother to a vicious knife attack, some of Cally-Ann Gill’s children appear to be coping quite well with their loss.

Gill was stabbed to death two days before Christmas, allegedly by her boyfriend and the father of all but one of her children.

This evening, four of the seven children got off the school bus and ran straight into the arms of their paternal grandmother Althea Hinds as she stood outside their Crab Hill, St Lucy home awaiting their return from school.

Their dog Brown Boy, who family members say has shown a keen interest in the children since their mother died, was also there to greet them at the nearby bus stop and walked beside them all the way home.

They were smiling and excited to see their legal guardian who they affectionately call “mummy” or “momma”. The woman had pledged the day after their mother was killed that she would care for and nurture them for as long as she was able to.

“My life is for them. The children ain’t doing bad. Dem ain’t lacking in dem school work. They go to church the same way and come home and do their homework.

“You know when children ain’t got no father or mother they would draw up [but] not them. I ain’t got no problem with the children,” she told Barbados TODAY.

Gill, 35, collapsed and died at the back door of a small wooden house positioned through a track, at her Farm Road, St Peter residence after being stabbed on December 23. Her boyfriend Alliston Greaves has since been remanded for her murder.

Gill’s four-month-old baby boy who was in the house at the time of the attack was handed over to the Child Care Board (CCB) by police and is now at a children’s home.

Hinds said the CCB has also placed Gill’s two-year-old girl at a home, explaining that since she works she would be unable to care for the child when her siblings were at school. Gill’s eldest child has a different father with whom he lives.

“They say that I still working and they say they taking her [the two-year-old] for six months. I don’t know what will happen at the end of the six months but I want her here with the rest. I take them to see her and the [baby] boy every Sunday. When we leaving she would cry because she want to come,” Hinds explained, adding that she was still awaiting word from child protection agency on whether the baby would be handed over to the family.

The grandmother said despite the loss of their mother and the incarceration of their father, the children were showing affection towards each other.

“They are loving, kind and always together. And as I say, I ain’t sending one yonder, and the other one yonder. I ain’t sending none no way, they all staying here with me. They were always here with me,” she declared.

In the process of preparing an evening meal for her grandchildren, Hinds said she had been receiving assistance from a few kind-hearted Barbadians.

“I want to thank all those who assisted [with my] grandchildren. The help goes a long way and I am very grateful and them [the children are] thankful too. I mean they need things, but I trying.

“I would give my all for them. Mummy ain’t around and daddy ain’t around and I giving my all for them. Dem belong to me,” Hinds said, as she watched the free-spirited children running around and playing with Brown Boy.

Hinds said she visited her son in prison last week and he appeared to have accepted his fate.

I have been interested in this story from the time I heard about it. I presently live in Canada but we have a home in st Lucy and I feel like this is a part of my community and I need to help out with these children. I would like to be able to contact the grandmother directly so I can help.Looking forward hearing from you soon.

The gran has shown more than kindness to those children, the Child Care Board should hand over the others to her, there is a sister that is all too willing to assist. Kindly let all those children be together, with their granny. I could understand if there was no family member around to take care of them, but their granny is there, she has not turned her back on them.

Through the support and benefit of the Robinson Smiles and Hope foundation, my team and I had the privilege to provide groceries and reach out to Ms. Hinds and her beautiful grand angels. It must of been the wettest day in Barbados last Thursday which paled in comparison to the compassion we felt to have helped. Ms Hinds we will be back. Not just to give groceries but to give our time to tutor, help around the yard, clean, paint, whatever is required to make a day a hopeful one for you. Every penny donated was given to Ms Hinds. If you are looking for a way to help Ms Hinds I would suggest you contact Robinson Smiles and Hope because every penny helped.

Search in Archive

Select a MonthSelect a CategorySearch with Google

Barbados Today

Our mission is to keep you informed. Do you have news, know of an event or a personality deserving of coverage? Contact us today! Nothing or no one is too big or too small for us at Barbados Today to highlight. You can also take your own good quality photographs of community events and drop us a note with the details.